Government affairs

On April 22, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) introduced H.R. 1963, the Federal Leadership in Energy & Efficient Transportation (FLEET) Act. The bill seeks to modernize the U.S. Postal Service’s fleet of aging Long Life Vehicles (LLVs). The FLEET Act was introduced by Huffman with a companion bill for energy efficient schools, in honor of Earth Day.

H.R. 1963 would provide USPS an opportunity to save money while reducing its vehicles’ affects on the environment. It would offer letter carriers a more efficient vehicle that meets Postal Service demands, one that would better accommodate USPS' booming package delivery service.

“Each Earth Day, people across the country and around the world pledge themselves to becoming better stewards of our planet,” Huffman said. “It’s time that Congress learns from their example and joins the fight against climate change, the biggest single problem facing our planet and future.

“By working constructively with these American institutions—public schools and the U.S. Postal Service—we can reduce energy use, modernize our infrastructure, and fight climate change—together,” he said.

Fueling currently accounts for 10 cents out of every dollar spent by the Postal Service, and the agency operates the largest commercial fleet in the world. Modernized and fuel-efficient vehicles could help reduce their impact on the environment. Most LLVs in service are between 18 and 24 years old, and the current fleet has an average fuel economy of just 10 miles per gallon.

Lowering fuel costs also would free more funds for USPS to spend on increasing customer satisfaction and to invest in itself.